InterviewPolitics

Omodara, no contest for me – Esinrogunjo

 

In this interview with MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Saturday council election, Comrade Misbaudeen Esinrogunjo reaffirms his conviction on winning against his APC opponent at the poll. Excerpts:  


Why are you gunning for the ticket of Ilorin West Local government?

I see this project as destiny project. Poverty has been elevated more than 70 percent in the life of the citizens. People continue to attack people like Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, but there is no reason for such attack.
My aspiration is borne out of the frustration at the way we are being led, there is no hope for the youth. The youth who would ordinarily have come out to champion their cause are afraid because of intimidation here and there. I see my aspiration as a fight for freedom. This is the clarion call I am answering.

Why are you not aspiring for a higher political position with all the exposure and experience you have highlighted? 

I ought to have been in the Senate or House of Reps sponsoring bills to contribute to the development and wellbeing of my people. But the situation and environment is not conducive for us here. I am going to the local government to transform it within one year and by the time I finish, people will see the difference.

How sure of victory are you in this election? 

I look at this election as a victory election because the lady I am contesting with doesn’t have the credibility, lacks exposure and political experience and coming on the strength of imposition. I am assuring you that the people of Kwara, especially Ilorin West, are politically conscious. APC, LP and others parties in the state will tell you their votes is for Esinrogunjo because they know what they are doing and know about my antecedents and records while I  served  in school.  They know I was always in the forefront of protests that has to do with the agitation for better life and welfare of the students Today 90 percent of the youth in Kwara State are for Esinrogunjo, they know it is their person that is contesting this time around; a grassroots person and son of the soil who have lived all his life in Ilorin.

You seem to have overshadowed other PDP candidates, why…. 

I am ready to serve my people and we all know Ilorin West local government is the heart of Kwara and we know the allocation that is coming to the local government. But we don’t know how they are managing it. So let somebody who is transparent and well oriented manage the council finances. I promise to give the people of my local government a better life than what they have been getting.
How do you plan to mobilise all these forces you identified in your favour for your victory?
We have organised our structure and have started our house- to- house and ward- to- ward campaigns and it has been vigorous. People are committed to the project and I have many friends in the APC who are committed to this project. They don’t need to decamp to my party. People in PDP voted for Buhari in 2015 during the change era. My appeal is that they should let the vote count and I am hundred percent sure of victory.

How have you been able to fund this huge project?

Sincerely, my friends have really been there for me and I have them across the 36 states of Nigeria including the FCT because of my exploits as a union leader back in school. There is no state in the country that I don’t have close to 200 friends.  I have been getting support from them. It is not easy though I speak Hausa fluently; a northern can allow a so called minority of the north from the North central region to emerge as the chairman of Arewa Ambassador Congress of Nigerian which was held in Gombe State. This speaks volume of my acceptability nationally and we have met many top people across the country. I don’t have a godfather and I am very happy to say this.

How do you hope to transform the local government in real terms?

Experience matters a lot in anything we are doing. Despite the fact the APC candidate had served as the vice chairman of the council before, she has no knowledge about council administration. There are a lot of things she doesn’t know about that and I challenge her to a public debate. I have never served in the council but I know what the administration of local government is all about. What the IGR of Ilorin West is.

You party said it has lost confidence in Ajidagba for the conduct of the election, what is your take on this?

I keep telling people that this time, he (Ajidagba) will try to redeem his image. People have castigated him heavily on the scenario in Offa the other time but the man has said it openly that the experience is different now and they are trying to improve. I want us to wait for the improvement. Everybody will write the result down as it is being collated and I don’t see how they are going to rig such. People are very aware now and will stand by their vote.

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